Many if not most
of history's major tragedies have been allowed to happenbecause they were
not stopped before they escalated out of control. It isthe classic "I am not
the one" or "Don't rock the boat" syndrome. Would ourrecent history have
been different if there had been a vigorous response atthe time of the first
farm invasions? Who can tell? But what is for sure isthat the softly, softly
"do nothing" approach did not work.

During my life I have served on many
committees and companies, often in anexecutive capacity. My first
experience was a chairman of the Kitwe ModelAircraft Club when I was
sixteen. Since then there have been many others.It took some years for the
fact to sink in that there were a great manymore talkers than doers. It was
always easy for people to propose theholding of events such as charity
casinos, but when push came to shovethose who'd proposed these events
suddenly developed pressing personalresponsibilities that prevented them
being involved. In all of these clubsand organisations a small core of the
same people always landed up doingthe work! I am sure than many are familiar
with this? In my opinion thebasic reason for this reluctance to do what
should be done is selfishness,an unwillingness to do anything that does not
bring immediate and personalbenefit.

We are in desperate straights as
a country, and as individuals many of ushave lost the fruits of a lifetime
of work. I proposed that aletter-writing campaign would be the most
effective way of countering thedeluge of propaganda, false information and
outright lies. I still believethat this is about the only weapon we have, as
well as potentially the mosteffective. Many letters of support were posted
on the Forum. But other thanthat - nothing happened.

If this idea is
to be pursued, then one or more people will have to takepersonal ownership
of the project. It is worth remembering that ZWNEWS,which has a circulation
of more than 85,000, was started and is run by oneman. Similarly, the New
Zimbabwe news site is run a person studying at a UKuniversity. True, there
will be no immediate financial reward or ego boost.Instead there will almost
certainly be vicious attacks by theestablishment. But what is better, to
submit meekly or at least an attemptto fight back?

This has become a
sort of personal litmus test for me; are there peoplewilling to actually DO
something - or are Zimbabweans content to crybitterly into their beer and
bemoan their fate because "somebody" won't do"something"? Because in this
instance, I cannot be "the one".

Mr. Gavin Conolly has hinted
that one of the problems is that there are toomany Idle Bunny Watchers
around, and that they ought to get involved and dosomething. This seems fair
comment.

I would assume that any thinking Idle Bunny Watcher will ask Mr.
GavinConolly for ideas on some new pursuits, seeing as these Poor Idle
BunnyWatchers are now actually being watched by the MFA Bunnies themselves.
Acomprehensive list of new or potential activities for Bunny Watchers on
theOLF would make a good start.

"That is the
whole point of the "total onslaught". The question is, can we,like Maximus,
get up enough courage and strength to go back into the ringand beat this
monster? We can - that is what makes a competitor a championin every
competition."

There is no doubt that there are many Zimbabweans who have
courage.However, unless strong leadership comes forward with huge
charismaticability to mobilise people, Zimbabwe is sunk. It's finished. Look
aroundyou, the evidence is there for you all to see. No one has been able to
stopthis trainsmash to date. What's required is intelligent action and the
onlyaction taking place right now is zanupf putting in place whatever is
neededto frog march Zimbabweans to vote for them at the next election. They
evengot the chiefs in their pocket over the past week. Sadly, the MDC has
notidentified its competitive advantage as a result of the mandate it knows
ithas. It continues to do the same as it did 3 years ago, nothing has
changedexcept the tilt of the playing field. If the MDC contests this
nextelection under current conditions, it will again provide countries
likeSouth Africa with the excuse that the elections are legitimate. Is
thatwhat Zimbabweans want
?---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Letter
4. Subject: Contributions

Dear Sirs,

Your Open letter forum has
become a bit of a bore. Some of the contributorsengage in healthy dialogue
which make interesting reading. Some arehackneyed to say the least, one in
particular is the reason I have stoppedreading the letters. His/Her
continual carping about CFU, their employees,elected and ordinary members,
farmers who are still on the land and in facteverything that is not wholly,
or should I say Holy, Matabele, is pathetic.

He/She doesn't have the
courage to put a name on their contribution but thestyle of whinging is as
much unmistakeable as the complete lack of respectfor our dear departed, one
of who's name they continually spell incorretly.

It is most puzzling
that "Still farming Shona" should critise writers tothe OLF for not printing
their names, and then choose to use a non de plumein complete contradiction
of that very viewpoint. Surely we should allrespect a writer's right to
remain anonymous as well as their opinion?

From what I have read on OLF
some writers have pointed out that there havemany people killed in Zimbabwe
in the last 24 years (a lot were Matabeles Ithink) and that Jag has taken a
stand on human rights for all Zimbabeans -not based on tribal or racial
group. As I understand it, Jag's ethos isbased on the Ten Commandments which
is Holy, but not 'Holy Matabele' in anymanner or means. It would appear that
the MFA is also a Holy body based onthe Ten Commandments.

I have yet
to see a letter on the OLF that is disrespectful of the peoplekilled in
Zimbabwe, in my opinion.

Passive alignment with elements that are
responsible for people dying tendto undermine any stand for human rights
that Jag and other bodies may make- a bit like not pushing in the scrum or
rigging a cricket match, perhaps.It is most unfortunate that Still farming
Shona has stopped reading the OLFrather than tackle the specific issues
brought forward by writers wherethere is perceived disrespect for those
killed or spelling mistakes, whichcould be a positive contribution. The OLF
will be poorer for it.

non de
plume

---------------------------------------------------------------------------All
letters published on the open Letter Forum are the views and opinionsof the
submitters, and do not represent the official viewpoint of Justicefor
Agriculture.---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Kwara... New Home of Zimbabwean FarmersZimbabwean
farmers have finally settled in Kwara, making the state their newhome.
Recently, they went back to home country, Zimbabwe to report back totheir
colleagues. Stephan Hofstatter of THISDAY South Africa,
writes

For
four decades the people of Yelwa village on the Niger earned their keepby
working on a nearby state-owned sugar cane estate. But years ofmismanagement
and corruption forced Bacita Sugar to close its doors in 2001,leaving rows
of Landrovers, bulldozers, trucks and off-road bikes worthmillions rusting
in the sun.

Now the Yelwans greet visitors with beseeching eyes and
outstretched hands,lifting threadbare garments to reveal dry dugs of flesh
flopping from theiremaciated waists, the signature of starvation throughout
this onceprosperous district of Kwara State.

It was this horrific
image of poverty in a country which has earned $280billion from oil exports
since black gold was discovered in the Niger Deltain the late 1950s that
Kwara's youthful new governor, Bukola Saraki vowed toerase when he took
office last May.

Innovations thus far have included the Clean and Green
Scheme, whichemployed thousands of women to tidy up the streets. In a state
with a largeMuslim population, the programme initially ran into initial
hostility fromreligious leaders. But soon recruitment offices were flooded
withapplicants, and even conservative Nigerians are beginning to revise
theiroutlook on women who work.

Another Saraki brainchild, for which
he received an award in Brusselsearlier this month, was his Back to the Farm
Scheme. About 1,000 halffertile land scattered throughout the state was set
aside for unemployedurbanites who wanted to take a crack at farming. Three
prioritycrops-cassava, maize and rice -- were identified, and Asian experts
broughtin to help train the new farmers.

Saraki's most important
reform has been reorienting the economy fromreliance on state and foreign
donor support to being driven by privatesector investment, with a focus on
agriculture. Saraki previously chaired apresidential committee tasked with
submitting recommendations to the federalgovernment on increasing Nigeria's
non-oil revenue by $1 billion a year. Buthe realised the low yields,
outdated techniques and antiquated technologyemployed by Nigeria's small
scale producers was not conducive to creating avibrant commercial
agricultural sector. This environment also discouragedpotential
investors.

Late last year reports began filtering north about spectacular
successesachieved by Zimbabwean farmers dispossessed by Robert Mugabe's land
reformprogramme who had taken up residence in neighbouring Zambia and
Mozambique.

The immigrants helped break a crippling food shortage and
reportedly grewover 70 per cent of the country's maize last
year.

Saraki opened talks with the Zimbabwean Commercial Farmers Union
(CFU) inFebruary and within two months the first delegation of six farmers
arrived.

An audience with both Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo and
financeminister, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, convinced the Zimbabweans their hosts
meantbusiness.

"Nowhere in Africa have we been welcomed with open
arms like this,"delegation leader, Allan Jack, said. There is clearly the
political will tomake a success of this.

Earlier this month a second
team, including two irrigation experts, arrivedin the West African country,
this time to inspect potential farming sites.By then two other states had
expressed interest in adopting their ownZimbabweans, but are likely to wait
to see how Kwara's pioneers fare.

First the farmers were taken to Bacita
Sugar, a vivid illustration ofKwara's squandered agricultural potential. In
its heyday the estate employedup to 4000 people, including seasonal labour
and workers at the now derelictsugar mill and processing plant.

With
5,000 hectares under cultivation yielding 60 tons/ha, the mill producedup to
35, 000 tons of refined sugar, which currently fetches 70, 000 naira($500) a
ton. "We could increase it to double that figure [of 60 tons] andit becomes
much more viable," said irrigation expert Jeremy Oates. TheZimbabweans also
planned to cultivate four times as much land, and expandthe mill's capacity.
This would result in potential revenue of up to $140million a year,
depending on sugar prices.

"We want the white Zimbabweans to come and run
the sugar estate because theywon't mismanage it" said Yelwa headman, Mohamed
Alasan.

As it turned out, Bacita was put on hold until liquidation
proceedings werecompleted. The state-owned company apparently accumulated a
mountain of debtthe federal government is looking into covering, leaving
Saraki's handstied.

Instead the Zimbabweans have been granted 15
farms of 1,000 hectares eachfurther along the Niger. This gently sloping,
well watered terrain is wherethe pioneers will clear virgin bush and set up
the first Zimbabweancommunity in Nigeria.

The farmers would be
granted pioneer status, which translates into afive-year tax exemption
window, and be allowed to bring in key staff totrain local workers. Other
likely incentives are duty free equipment importsand low interest loans. The
governor has also undertaken to build roads andhouses and provide security
and telecommunications.

Preliminary inspections revealed the soil was
suitable for maize, rice andcowpeas. Poultry farming is also on the cards.
Initially relatively smallareas would be cleared and irrigated, but once
markets were tested,production would expand rapidly. With a cargo hub
planned at the statecapital, Ilorin, roses and tropical fruit for export
could become big moneyspinners. Bill Hughs, once one of Zimbabwe's top dairy
farmers, plans tobuild Nigeria's first modern dairy and launch an industry
the country sorelylacks.

Last week the farmers returned to Zimbabwe
to report back to otherinterested CFU members. Once surveyors have updated
maps and planners markedout farm boundaries, a core team of 15 pioneers will
be selected to makehistory. After the first farms are established, 75 more
farmers and theirfamilies are expected to follow. There will be enough
takers, said Jack.

Saraki hopes to see a knock-on effect of Nigerians
employed as managers orsupervisors using the skills they learn to start
their own farms -- thatthese are the first stirrings of Nigeria's
agricultural revolution.

You pioneered
the initiative to import Southern African farmers with theskills and
experience to revive commercial agriculture in Nigeria. How andwhy did this
came about?

When I was elected Kwara state governor almost a year ago we
spent the firstfew months establishing our revenue and expenditure, and how
we could getthe economy going and provide jobs.

My view of poverty
reduction is how to empower people to keep themselvesalive and employed. The
problem in Africa is a lack of jobs, of being ableto provide for yourself.
Yes, we must invest in infrastructure, but until wecan get our people to
provide for themselves we are not going to get out ofthis vicious
cycle.

In Kwara we don't have oil, but we have a vast amount of land --
2.3 millionhectares -- available for agriculture. I realised only
agriculture has thepotential to provide jobs, both as a primary activity and
throughagri-allied industries, and bring down the cost of food.

We
started with our Back to the Farm programme, making it a key policy
tosupport agriculture, but realised it was all peasant farming. The
averageage of a Nigerian farmer is 60-70, with little exposure to
moderntechnology, no mechanisation, producing low yields, with no money to
buytractors or imputes.

We decided the only way to push agriculture
was through commercial farming.This was the time when white farmers in
Zimbabwe were having problems withRobert Mugabe. The feeling we got was the
farmers saw themselves as Africansand wanted to stay in Africa. We thought:
if you've got what it takes tomake it in commercial farming, the
opportunities are here.

What are these opportunities?

There are
many products they can grow here. We are spending minimum of $2.5billion a
year on food imports. We import rice worth $600 billion, we importsugar,
chickens, and powdered milk. There is an enormous market for allthese
products.

Has there been any resistance from Nigerians?

the
attitude here is commercial -- let them come and show us how. I believethe
Nigerian farmers will learn from them. What will eventually happen
isNigerian peasant farmers will improve their yields and the youth will
becomeinterested in farming.

The typical Nigerian sees himself as a
businessman. After two years the farmmanager won't want to stay as a paid
employee, complaining the white man hasthe land and I'm being paid peanuts.
All he wants to do is learn from youand set up his own farm. When we found
oil we didn't ask people in southernNigeria to look for shovels to dig for
oil -- we brought in foreigners withexpertise. The land we have is an asset
that isn't being utilised and theonly way we can do that is bring in people
with the necessary skills.

Also, financial institutions are not ready to
provide funding foragriculture. Nigerian farmers have no experience in
accounting practices andwill never meet the criteria of credit assessments.
Now banks will say:fine, you have a vehicle which is bankable, a management
structure we canwork with. They (Zimbabweans) have the expertise.

Now
that we have identified suitable land, we will decide what we are goingto
grow and irrigation specialists are looking at the infrastructurerequired.
Then we will put a feasibility study together to take to
thebanks.

Given Africa's colonial history of land dispossession,
weren't you taking amajor political gamble?

Of course. There are
those who say we are giving our land to whiteforeigners. But the majority
are seeing beyond that now and talking abouthow we can get Africa out of its
poverty trap. In my view what is worse iscontinuing to shop around for aid
from developed countries. Anyway, inNigeria no one owns
land.

Understandably, the Zimbabweans said they would prefer outright
ownership.Would you consider bending the rules?

They will have a
bankable certificate of occupancy with a 50 or 99-yearlease. But there is no
freehold title here. If we start taking that road nowwe play into the hands
of people opposed to this project. What is easy tosell to the community is
the existing leasehold.

Even in Zimbabwe they had freehold but if someone
wanted to get rid of themthey did so. There are no certainties, even with
freehold. It depends on thegovernment and its policies creating an
environment of trust.

what happens if there's a change in
government?

we are putting together an agreement which would make it
difficult for afuture government to renege on promises.

What
incentives are the farmers being offered?

They will be granted pioneer
status, which means a five-year tax break. Andthey can bring in skilled
staff. We need expertise to get this going.

has this complicated
Nigeria's relationship with South Africa and Zimbabwe?

I would like to
think it hasn't. It's part of the Nepad philosophy ofAfrican countries
working toward a common goal. I am trying to focus on thereal issue: the
economy. If I truly thought our peasant farmers could takeus where we wanted
to be I would probably not have invited the Zimbabweans.And why go to Europe
to find the skills when we have people right here inAfrica they are
Africans.

Owning land is one thing but we've had the land for donkey
years and donenothing with it. Who knows, in 10 years time we might have our
own Zimfarmers who go to other parts of Africa to lead an agriculture
revolution.We can't run away from the political colouration, but let us look
at it forwhat it is: an economic issue.

What will happen to the
people currently using the land?

There are vast areas of land not being
used and which therefore has no valuenow. The traditional leaders we've
spoken to are very positive.

Its a win-win situation for everybody. The
communities want to piggyback onthe Zimbabwean farmers. They see it as an
opportunity. Of course, there arecritics who say this is colonisation, but
the majority of Nigerians aresupportive. We all agree these guys have skills
to impart to Nigerians.

Nigeria's decision to ban food imports next year
will stimulate localagriculture, but doesn't this violate international
trade agreements?

The playing ground isn't level. Take dairy products. In
Australia, Irelandand New Zealand dairy products are being subsidised. What
chance do we haveof competing with that? So if you want to criticise our
import bans, takeaway your subsidies so we know the true cost of your milk.
Even the WorldTrade Organisation says you are allowed to protect your market
while you aredeveloping it. Only once it has matured enough do you open it
tointernational competition. I truly believe it is in the interests of
theinternational community for Nigeria to become self-sufficient. It is my
viewthat import bans is what the country needs in the initial
phase.

What do you hope to achieve, and by when would you like to see
results?

In Africa, government subsidies for agriculture doesn't work
because most ofthe subsidy doesn't reach the farmers. We should help
commercial farmers whoin turn will help small farmers. By 2006 we should be
able to see somechanges in the agricultural sector.

In a state where
80 per cent of revenues go towards salaries, its just amatter of time before
we run out of money. We want to reduce our import billby 75 per cent and
become a model for the rest of Africa, with the limitedresources we have. I
truly believe this is the right solution, not only forNigeria but the whole
of Africa. If we can get this thing right in Kwara itwill change the way we
look at agriculture throughout Nigeria. It willtransform the country's
economy. A lot of other states are alreadyinterested, but everyone is
waiting to see the first case to take off.

I think it's in the interest
of all stakeholders in Nigeria and the whole ofAfrica to see that it takes
off because if you get a country like Nigeriaback to agriculture it will
reduce poverty in the region. Don't forgetNigeria's economy affects the
entire West African region. We could startproviding low-cost food for our
neighbours.

I think it's a golden opportunity. I know some developed
countries are waryof the project because they don't want to be seen as
providing financialsupport to be white Zimbabwean farmers. But I think as
leaders we shouldlook at the bigger picture and be ready to take the flack
today for thebenefits tomorrow.

England were presented last night with a
potential get-out clause to canceltheir tour of Zimbabwe this autumn after
the International Cricket Councilchallenged the African country to solve the
bitter power struggle betweenofficials and players and protect the integrity
of world cricket. On a dayof dramatic developments in Harare, the Zimbabwe
Cricket Union wasofficially informed that, unless it finds a solution to its
dispute with 15disaffected white players, the ICC's executive committee will
hold anemergency telephone link-up on Friday to vote on whether Zimbabwe's
twoTests against Australia this month should have their Test status
revoked."We need to fix it in the next 24 hours," Mal Speed, the ICC's
chiefexecutive told an Australian television channel. The vote hangs in
thebalance, but if it goes against Zimbabwe by a two-thirds
majority,Australia's Test side is expected to return home, giving England
freshjustification for cancelling their own tour this autumn. England's
moralargument for not touring Zimbabwe has been dismissed by the ICC, they
do nothave the evidence to cancel the tour on safety and security grounds,
theydare not take unilateral action for fear of suspension and bankruptcy,
andthe government will not instruct them to stay at home. But the argument
thatcould hold sway, and which ICC delegates from the 10 Test nations will
voteon this Friday, concerns "the integrity of world cricket" -
playingstandards in other words. There are signs that the Asian bloc, lead
by theall-powerful India, is beginning to find Zimbabwe an embarrassing
ally.England seemed oblivious last night to the rapid developments in
Harare,which saw the diplomatic mission of Speed snubbed by the
ZCU.Speed held long discussions with the players and their legal
representativesbut, despite his forensic care not to cause offence by talk
of mediation,his meeting with the ZCU was blocked after an internal power
struggle inwhich the invitation from the ZCU's chairman Peter Chingoka and
its chiefexecutive Vince Hogg was overruled. Instead, Speed met Chingoka and
Hogg onthe understanding that they would relay to the full board the
importance ofpreserving the integrity of Test cricket. Last night, the ZCU
seemed bentupon self-destruction, refusing the entreaties of the ICC that
the Tests bedeferred until, or unless, a more meaningful contest could be
held. "Thedecision by the ZCU to withdraw its invitation to Malcolm Speed
wasunfortunate," the ICC president Ehsan Mani said. "The ZCU has now
indicatedthat it intends to proceed with these matches as Test matches and I
havecalled a meeting of the ICC executive board to establish clearly if the
ICCdirectors believe that affording these matches Test status is
appropriate."Where the ICC is clearly involved is in its duty to protect the
interestsof the international game. It now up to the directors of the ICC
todetermine if these matches should have Test status and to exercise
theirjudgment as to what course of action best protects the integrity of
theinternational game."

LONDON
- The ongoing crisis in Zimbabwe cricket took a new twist when
theInternational Cricket Council (ICC) announced it had called a board
meetingFriday to discuss whether the forthcoming series between the African
stateand Australia should be granted Test status.The move came after the
ICC revealed that the Zimbabwe Cricket Union (ZCU)had rejected its proposal,
agreed by Cricket Australia, to defer the seriesand just 24 hours after ICC
president Ehsan Mani said that suspendingZimbabwe from international cricket
was "not on the radar".

Zimbabwe cricket has been rocked by the axing of
15 senior white players,including former captain Heath Streak, following a
dispute with the ZCUwhich the rebels accused of operating a selection policy
based on racialquotas rather than merit.

In the absence of those 15
players, a Zimbabwe side made up of largely blacknovices has suffered two
huge Test defeats at home to Sri Lanka, the secondby an innings and 254 runs
completed at Bulawayo on Monday.

But while he met with player representatives and ZCU chairman
Peter Chingokaand chief executive Vince Hogg, he was not allowed to attend a
ZCU boardmeeting which the ICC believed he had been invited to speak
at.

Such was Zimbabwe's inept performance against Sri Lanka that fears
wereexpressed about what might happen against an Australia side that tops
theICC's Test championship table.

Now the ICC's board will hook up
for a teleconference meeting to discuss theissue on Friday.

In a
statement Mani, who called the ZCU decision to withdraw its invitationto
Speed for the board meeting "unfortunate", said: "The ZCU has nowindicated
that it intends to proceed with these matches as Test matches andI have
called a meeting of the ICC executive board to establish clearly ifthe ICC
directors believe that affording these matches Test status
isappropriate."

Voting power on the ICC board rests with the
directors representing the 10Test playing nations. Any motion to withdraw
Test status from theZimbabwe-Australia series would require the support of
seven directors.

Mani admitted that while it was standard ICC policy not
to interfere in theinternal affairs of a member board, the Zimbabwe
situation meant the worldgoverning body had to act.

"Where the ICC is
clearly involved is in its duty to protect the interestsof the international
game and it is for this reason that I have called thisboard
meeting."

The first Test between Zimbabwe and Australia is due to start
in Harare onSaturday with the second scheduled in Bulawayo on May
29.

Australia's
cricketers are likely to clear out of Zimbabwe rather than hangaround for an
unofficial, meaningless series if the two matches between thecountries,
scheduled to begin on Saturday, have their Test status revoked.

"The
Australian cricket team has gone to Zimbabwe to play Test and
one-daycricket," said Cricket Australia's chief executive James Sutherland.
"Ifwe're not going to play that, then I'm not sure whether it is
appropriatefor us to be there."

The ICC will decide on the status of
the proposed matches during a telephonehook-up between its ten executive
board directors on Friday.

Australia's most powerful politicians today
made plain their feelings onwhat should happen. The treasurer, Peter
Costello, commended Stuart MacGillfor making himself unavailable and said
that, if he was a cricketer, hewouldn't be playing in
Zimbabwe.

"People are going to say they're under contract to Cricket
Australia andthey have to fulfil their contracts," said Costello. "I
understand thatargument but I would suggest Cricket Australia think very
seriously aboutthis tour."

John Howard, the prime minister, perhaps
mindful of the antagonism sparkedby his random theories on Muttiah
Muralitharan's bowling action, was morecautious. Asked on ABC Radio if the
Australians should come home, Howardsaid: "That's a matter for Cricket
Australia, I don't want to tell CricketAustralia what to do.

"But I
do want to express the view that I think most Australians hold, andthat is
there should not be any selection of teams on a racial basis. Afterall, that
was the basis of the original 20-year ban on South Africa,
wasn'tit?"

The matches will lose their Test status if seven of the
ten ICC directors,representing each Test-playing country, support such a
motion. GregChappell, the former Australian captain, views it as an obvious
solution.

"I think the whole situation is very sad and obviously it needs
to be sortedout," Chappell said. "I don't think it is a satisfactory
situation when youhave a team being put on the field that is clearly not
their best team. Wecan't afford to have the standard of Test cricket
denigrated from within. Ithink that's something that has really got to be
fiercely protected by thegame of cricket."

By Staff ReporterLast
updated: 05/19/2004 11:24:57INFORMATION and publicity minister, Jonathan
Moyo says he refused theBritish Sky News crew an interview with President
Robert Mugabe merely "toprove to whoever they were working for that we are
the authority and fullyin charge and not that we did not want them to meet
the President".

Ironically, the Sky News crew had been invited into the
country by Zanu PFthrough its information and publicity chief, Nathan
Shamuyarira.

Moyo's department, which was engaged in a covert tug-of-war
with Shamuyariraover the accreditation of the Sky News crew, arranged an
alternativeregional media deal with the East African Standard and KTN of
Kenya.

Journalists from the two foreign media houses were granted an
interview withPresident Mugabe by Moyo ahead of the Sky News crew which,
ironically, wasat the same time told to pack and leave the
country.

The Herald, one of the titles under Moyo's control, consistently
claimed theBritish crew was in the country at the behest of Ugandan
national, DavidNyekorach-Matsanga and not Zanu PF. Matsanga assisted the
ruling party tobroker the Sky News deal and is also seen as close to Speaker
of Parliamentand ruling party secretary for administration, Emmerson
Mnangagwa.

However, after a series of such claims by the newspaper,
Shamuyarira onThursday issued a statement correcting the Herald's erroneous
reports.

"The Sky News team that has been filming in Zimbabwe in the last
ten dayswas invited to come to Zimbabwe by Zanu PF. The statement given to
yourreaders that they were invited by someone else is not correct,"
Shamuyarirasaid in the statement. Curiously, the Herald, which also
receivedShamuyarira's statement, did not publish it.

Confidential
sources claimed the real reason behind Moyo's open aversion tothe Sky News
deal has to do with the ruling party's succession politics.

According to
the sources, Moyo suspected that Shamuyarira intended to usethe Sky News
documentaries to advance the profile of lands and landresettlement minister
and Zanu PF chairman, John Nkomo as a leadingcontender in the succession
race. Moyo, the sources said, also suspectedthat Matsanga was interested in
having Mnangagwa receive positive profiling,thus selling him as an
acceptable candidate to succeed President Mugabe.

Hence the Kenyan deal,
added the sources, which was meant to pull the rugfrom under Shamuyarira's
feet and render the Sky News deal immobile. Partyoutsiders at the weekend
raised questions as to whether the frustration ofShamuyarira's Sky News
initiative and the fruition of Moyo's Kenyan dealalso reflected the former's
decline and the latter's rise in the rulingparty's politics.

However,
Shamuyarira, who maintained in his statement last week that SkyNews would
complete its work, revealed last night that Sky News hadbroadcast positive
interviews with leading government officials and that theinterviews had been
beamed to the British audience throughout yesterday.

"The documentaries
are really good. They flighted interviews with (ReserveBank of Zimbabwe
governor Gideon) Gono, Mnangagwa, Nkomo, and they were fairand balanced,"
Shamuyarira said.

"What is important is that the voice of Zimbabwe is
being heard by theBritish public. They are giving positive stories to the
British publicbecause they don't see that; they only see the negative
picture and do notknow that land reform has gone well, the economy is
recovering, or thatdemocracy is working in Zimbabwe," Shamuyarira
added.

Asked to comment on Moyo's statement to the East African
Standardjournalists, Shamuyarira said: "Ask the Minister of Information, I
don'twant to reply for him."Moyo has been on a regional media offensive,
touring Zambia, Namibia andMozambique in recent weeks. He has set up, in
conjunction with Namibia's NewEra, a regional newspaper named The New Sunday
Times.

Sources alleged Moyo was using the media in the region to create a
platformfor himself in the region. Interestingly, the East African
Standardattempted an analysis of Zimbabwe's succession politics in which
theyidentified Moyo as the leading contender to succeed President
Mugabe.

"Analysts in Zimbabwe view Tourism (sic) and Information minister
Prof.Jonathan Moyo as the favourite to succeed Mugabe. Of the cabinet
ministers,he is the closest to the President and the most powerful," the
paper wrote.

But an analysis by the South African Sunday Times last year
had this to sayabout Moyo and succession:"Anyone suggesting Moyo as a
serious presidentialcandidate - and there have been several such suggestions
in recent weeks -doesn't know what they're talking about.

Mugabe's
spin doctor and one-time Wits University academic is considered aninfant in
the realpolitik of Harare. Observers have even suggested that Moyowill have
reached his sell-by date the moment Mugabe leaves office.

Despite his
high profile, particularly outside the country, Moyo's onlycontribution to
date has been to serve as Mugabe's flak catcher - and hewill remain useful
only as long as he fills the role of Zanu PF punchbag".From the Daily
Mirror

The seat fell vacant on the death of David Mpala, an MPC member.
His healthhad deteriorated rapidly since being tortured by Zanu-PF
supporters in 2002.The ruling party lost the Lupane seat in the 2000
parliamentary elections byabout 10,000 votes.

Critics questioned how
Mr Mugabe's party could win the by-election when thesituation in Zimbabwe
had dramatically worsened since 2000, with inflationpeaking at 600 per cent
and people barely able to afford the basics.

Independent Zimbabwean
monitors said the election win could only have beenachieved by the brazen
rigging they had seen in Lupane. They accused MrMugabe of bussing in people
from neighbouring constituencies to vote.

The MDC said opposition
campaigners were abducted and tortured. Villagerswere told they would not be
eligible for famine relief if they did not votefor the ruling party. Mr
Mugabe's youth militia intimidated and assaultedvoters and a journalist,
Savious Kwinika, was left for dead. But Zanu-PFsaid the victory was
legitimate because Zimbabweans had now realised thatthe MDC was a "puppet"
of Britain.

The victory also underlined the "success" of the land reform
programme underwhich thousands of white-owned farms had been redistributed
to blacks, theparty said.

Professor Lovemore Madhuku, the leader of
the largest civic group, theNational Constitutional Assembly, said that the
MDC's strategy of contestingelections then crying foul after losing was
senseless. "These are notelections but pre-determined processes that the MDC
is merely givinglegitimacy by its participation," Professor Madhuku said.
"What they need todo now is to join us in the fight for a democratic
constitution and anacceptable electoral framework before they contest these
sham elections."

Elections in Zimbabwe are run by an electoral commission
handpicked by MrMugabe and stuffed with army officers.

The MDC is
barred from state-run broadcasts and print media. A spokesman,Paul Themba
Nyathi, said elections "had become a major farce". But there wasno consensus
on whether to boycott polls.

* South African President Thabo Mbeki has
been given a 24-hour ultimatum toguarantee that 70 suspected mercenaries
detained in Zimbabwe will not beextradited to Equatorial Guinea, where they
face summary execution.

Lawyers representing the men want Mr Mbeki to
seek their extradition toSouth Africa, arguing that he has a constitutional
responsibilty to helpSouth African citizens arrested in countries where they
have no chance ofgetting justice "even in its most elementary forms". The
allegedmercernaries are mainly from South Africa.

The lawyers have
said that unless Mr Mbeki takes steps to save the men fromcertain death,
they would take the South African leader to the High Court inPretoria to try
and secure his intervention.

The men were arrested at Harare
International Airport on 7 March. Zimbabweanofficials said they were on
their way to overthrow the government ofEquatorial Guinea. The men said they
were going to guard a mine in theCongo.

"For the 2002 outbreak of FMD in Matsiloje, the
similarities stood at99 percent in the type of virus of the FMD in Zimbabwe
and the one detectedhere. Whether they agree or not, we have scientific
evidence to that effect".

He was responding to a question asked
by Senior Assistant Commissionerof Police, Paphani Mazwiduma, who was a
participant at the workshop. Hestressed that the Botswana FMD matched the
one in Zimbabwe.

"Most of their cattle are highly exposed to FMD as
control measuresare not as tight as here," he said. He added that because of
the riskysituation in Zimbabwe, the Botswana government has embarked on
theconstruction of an electric cordon fence along the border to control
themovement of cattle. Letshwenyo told the workshop that the
Botswanagovernment took the decision to destroy cattle to control FMD
instead ofvaccination because the country was protecting its European Union
(EU)market.

He stated that talks with Zimbabwean authorities on
FMD arecontinuing. "We have been talking to the Zimbabwean government. About
twoyears back, we gave Zimbabweans free doses of FMD. The unfortunate thing
isthat they have confessed that they have no money to effectively combat
FMD,"he said. He added that there are no immediate plans to vaccinate
buffaloes,which are known to be carriers of FMD.

He indicated
that the electrification of the cordon fence along theborder areas is going
to be done in three phases.

The objective of the workshop was to
create awareness for FMDrecognition and control measures for farmers and
other stakeholders.

Workshop participants were worried by incidents
in which Zimbabweancattle rustlers continued to raid the border areas in the
North-Eastdistrict.

A GROUP of 70 suspected mercenaries held in Zimbabwe on charges ofplotting a
coup in Equatorial Guinea are preparing to take the South Africangovernment
to court unless it intervenes in their case, their lawyer
saidyesterday.

The men, who have been in a Harare jail for the
past two months, haveasked President Thabo Mbeki's government to either seek
their extradition toSA or provide assurances that they would not be handed
over for trial inEquatorial Guinea, lawyer Alwyn Grievenow
said.

Government was notified in an official letter served this
week that ithad 24 hours to respond to the request or face court action. "If
we do notreceive the undertakings we will proceed with an urgent matter in
thePretoria High Court," Grievenow said. The petition could be heard next
week.

The 70 suspected mercenaries, who come from SA , Namibia and
Angolabut were all travelling on South African passports, were arrested at
Harareairport on March 7, accused of planning to overthrow Equatorial
Guinea'slong-time leader Teodoro Obiang Nguema with weapons allegedly bought
fromZimbabwe's state arms manufacturer.

Fifteen other men were
arrested on similar charges in the oil-rich butimpoverished central African
country and are charged with being accomplicesin the same plot.

Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe held talks with Obiang earlier thismonth,
after which an official said that Mugabe had agreed to hand over themen for
trial and a possible death sentence in Equatorial Guinea.

There has
not, however, been any official statement from theZimbabwean government
about extradition of the 70 accused men.

Grievenow said that
authorities were investigating whether the menmight have violated a South
African law on foreign military assistance.

"If they have a case
they should serve warrants on the men. If they dothis they must apply for
their extradition to SA ," said Grievenow.

"We haven't got a
problem standing trial but we don't believe theywill have a fair trial in
Zimbabwe. We want them, therefore, to stand trialin SA ," he
said.

The families of the alleged soldiers of fortune have staged a
protestin Pretoria to ask Mbeki to bring the men home.

Government has given no indication that it is planning to intervene ifthe
men are extradited to Equatorial Guinea, saying there was "no legalbasis for
SA to demand that its nationals should not be extradited toanother
country".

Meanwhile, the opposition Democratic Alliance yesterday
called ongovernment to come clean on any reported assistance it has rendered
toprosecutors from Equatorial Guinea.

"The fact that government
is assisting Equatorial Guinea in thismanner is a direct contravention of
the recommendation made by Jan Henning,deputy head of the National
Prosecuting Authority, on the prospects of afair trial taking place in
Equatorial Guinea," said the party's foreignaffairs spokesman, Douglas
Gibson. With Sapa-AFP May 19 2004 07:07:39:000AM Business Day Reporter
Business Day 1stEdition

While Malcolm Speed was being given the cold shoulder by
the board of theZimbabwe Cricket Union, he did meet with some of the rebel
players duringhis 36 hours in Harare. The talks, described as amicable,
remained private,but by the time he left what was clear was the stand-off
between the boardand the players was no closer to being
resolved.

The rebels remain unimpressed by last Friday's statement
from the ZCU givingthem another 21 days to return to work, seeing it as
little more than aface-saving exercise brought about by fears that it had
acted illegally bydismissing them in the first place.

If
anything, the players' attitude has hardened. They still insist thatHeath
Streak should be reinstated as captain, the board are equally adamantthat
Tatenda Taibu, his successor, is there to stay. Asked whether theywould be
prepared to compromise, Grant Flower, the spokesman for the playerssaid:
"I'm not. Our captain [Streak] might be, but I think he'd be on
hisown."

Flower added that he feared that he, and most of the
other rebels, hadplayed for Zimbabwe for the last time. And he admitted to
having graveconcerns for the game's future in the country. "With more
experience theyoung guys in the team will become better players but that
will take a longwhile," he said. "But I don't know if there is enough good
players in thiscountry to keep the system going to be
honest."

Although they are continuing to train, many of the rebels
appear to haveaccepted that their careers in Zimbabwe are over and are
looking abroad foremployment. Sean Ervine left last week -ironically bumping
into thedeparting Australian side at the airport in Perth - and is pondering
playingfor Western Australia. Streak has been linked with Tasmania, although
he isunlikely to do anything until all hope of a deal with the board
hasdisappeared. Others are considering offers to play club
cricket.

As for Taibu, he remains at the centre of the dispute but
very muchdistanced from it. He has got on with the job of captaining the
decimatedZimbabwe side, and has led by example and with great dignity. But
while heis good enough to play international cricket, he is leading a team
whichclearly isn't.

"Obviously it has been tough, but I'm very lucky
to have a bunch of youngguys who are willing to represent their country," he
said. Asked whether hethought the Tests should go ahead, he said that was a
decision for the ICC.But he added: "It's disturbing . it would be
disappointing for me becausethe Australians are the world champions and my
boys need to play them toimprove."